Improvement in breech-loading ordnance



' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1, T. J. MAYAL'L; MACHINE GUN.

No,30,335 Patented Oct. 9, 1860.

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5 sheets-She na T, MAYALL MACHINE GUN.

No. 30,335. Patented 001:. '9; 1,860.

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- 5 sheets shet' 3 '1'. J. MAYALL. MACHINE .GUN

No. 30,335. Patefltedflot 9, 1860;

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5 SheetsSheet 4. T. J. MAYALL. MACHINE GUN.

No. 30,335. Patented Oct. 9, 1860.

-J. MAYALL.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 5,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. MAYALL, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS,

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE'.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 30,335, dated October 9, 180).

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J.'MAYALL, of Roxbury, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ordnance for Field-Pieces, Vessels, Batteries, Fortifications, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my said improvements, by which my invention may be distinguished from allothers of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plate of drawings represent my improvements.

In Plate 1, Figure 1 is a plan or top view-of my improved ordnance for field-pieces, batteries, &c. Plate 1, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Plate 2, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4, Plate 2, is'acentral longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 5, Plate 3, is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line A B, Fig. 1, Plate 1.

The present invention consists in anew mode of constructing and operating ordnance for field-pieces, vessels, batteries, fortifications,

8z:c., constituting an entirely new system of gunnery, and having for its objects the performing of all the various functions and operations of loading, firing, thumbing, sponging, &c., of cannons and other fire-arms by machinery in lieu of the usual methods, and so as to produce a rapid and nearly continuous discharge of projectiles, the apparatus, moreover, besides possessing the necessary automatic motions for effecting the above-named ofiices, being self-regulating, so as to provide for the accidental non-discharge of any one charge without interrupting or interfering with the general operation of the whole.

To obtain accuracy of aim, combined with rapidity of loading and firing, is evidently impossible by any of the methods-heretofore practised, as has been found in the use of breechloading artillery where facility of loading has been eflected at the expense of accuracy of aim, it being necessary on account of the recoil to reset the gun after each discharge, thereby consuming as much time as was gained by the rapidity of loading. In my invention 1 have provided for this contingency by the use of devices which almost instantaneously replace the gun after the recoil in the precise position which it occupied before its discharge, so that. the desired direction once being given to the barrel each and every discharge will throw the projectiles in that direction until the gun is raised or lowered or slowed to the right or left, as the case may be. My new apparatus is also so arranged and operated that the guiding and setting of the aimof the gun can be efiected while the loading, firing, sponging, and all the necessary operations are taking place, without interrupting or interfering with the same, whereby the rapidity of the discharge will sufl'er no-diminution, as would otherwise be the case.

The main features of the apparatus repre-, sented in the drawings, the details of which I shall next'proceed to describe, consist of a revolving many-chambered cylinder or magazine to which such an intermittent rotary motion is given as to bring its chambers successively in apposition with a gun barrel, a rammer so operating as to force the changes, one at a time, from a hopper or receiver into the charge bers of the cylinder as fast as one is discharge a sponger which has a reciprocating rectilifl ear motion, so as to cleanse the gun each time a charge is fired, and an arrangement of devices for thumbing the touch-holes. at the proper moment. v I

The'operations of igniting the charges, of resetting the gun after each recoil, andof providing for the guiding and aiming of the same at the same time that the loading, firing, &c.,

are going on, so as to prevent any diminution of rapidity in firing, are also distinctive vfeatures of the apparatus, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

A A A in the drawings represent a base, such as the deck of a vessel, &'c.; B B, a platform or carriage supported by four wheels, 0 G G O,'having elastic tires, of rubber, guttapercha, or other suitable material.

Upon the carriage B B is placed, so as to swing around upon the same, upon suitable friction-rollers,a circular plate, D D, the standards E E of which serve as bearings to the stationary axles F F of a frame, G G, which serves to support the gun-barrel H H, &c., and

is susceptible of being raised and depressed and set at any desired angle with the horizon (turning loosely on the axles F F) by means of devices the operation of which will be hereinafter described.

The cylinder I I has formed in it a series o chambers, J J, &;c., and has an intermittent rotary motion in a vertical plane imparted to it, so as to bring each of thechamhersJ J, &c., in apposition with the gun-barrel H H, as follows:

K K in the drawings represent a drivingshaft having a conicatshaped pulley, L, and laterally-slidin g friction-clutch M operating toget-her, so as to produce any desired amount of speed. A band or belt moving by steam or horse power can be applied to the clutch M; or the main shaft may be driven by handpower.

On the end of the driving-shaft K K is a gear-wheel, N, which, by means of an intermediate gear, 0, communicates motion to a gear-wheel, P, the cluster of gears N, 0, and I]? being connected by toggle or swinging arms Q Q R R, turning loosely on bearings at S, T, and U. By thus connecting and -supporting the gears N, O, and P it will be seen that the two gears O and P can be brought nearer to the gear N or travel away from the same, as the case may be, without disengaging any one of them with the others. The importance of this arrangement of gearing will be evident, as it permits the main carriage B B to travel freely in a longitudinal direction when the recoil and resetting takes place without disconnectin g the devices which communicate motion from the driving-shaft. The gear P is on one end of a horizontal shaft, V V, extending under the' carriage B B, on the other end of which is a bevel-gear, W, that engages with a similar gear, X, on the lower end of a short vertical shaft, Y, that passes upward loosely through the carriage B B and circular plate D D, and has on its upper end a bevel-gear, Z, that engages with a similar gear, a, placed on a horizontal shaft, b, turning loosely in proper bearings formed in the swinging frame G G.

Fixed to one end of the shaft 1) is acircular plate, 0, having on its periphery a projection, d, Figs. 1 and 5, the oflice of which is to disengage at proper intervals of time a springclutch, e, from a series of holes in the chambered cylinder or magazine I I, the said springclutch, when not thus disengaged by the action of the projection 01, serving to firmly hold the cylinder in position while .being loaded, &c.

A circular plate, f, connected to the plate c by a short crank-shaft, g, has on its circumlerence a stud, h, which, as the said plates 0 and f revolve, abuts against and lifts a jointed lever-pawl, z'j, swinging upon a fulcrum at k, having its length of motion regulated by a stop, I, and kept down to its bearing upon the plate f by a spring, m. The spring-pawl 2' is thus made to en gage at interval's'with a ratchetwheel, n, placed on the same shaft, 12, with the magazine I I, which will thus receive an intermittent rotary motion.

I will next proceed to describe the manner in which the several sections or chambers J J, &c., of the cylinder I I are loaded or charged with suitable cartridges, it being premised that the same movements which cause the several chambers or sections J J, &c., to be brought in apposition with the gun-barrel also cause the several sections or chambers J J, &c., to a f, so as to swing loosely thereon, is attached a connecting-rod, q. The connecting-rod q engages at or near one end with a short shaft, 1*, of the traveling carriage s, which thereby receives a reciprocating rectilinear motion. Attached to the traveling carriage 8, or forming a part thereof, is a hollow tube or shaft, t, Within which plays the rammer u, that receives the same motion as the traveling carriage s, so that the charges or cartridges, beingfed into a suitable hopper, s, will at proper intervals of time be driven into the several chambers of the ma gazine.

In case from any accident .the contents of any one chamber of the magazine should fail to be discharged, the rammer u is prevented from driving in another cartridge by its rear end abutting against a sliding bent lever, 'w, which so actuates an arm, B, turning upon a. center at as as to disengage the connecting-rod g from the short shaft 1' of the sliding carriage 8, above referred to, the rammer u and bent lever to being retracted by means of springsy and 2, one of which is coiled around the shaft A inside of the tube or hollow shaft t, and the other around the center or shafts-of the arm B.

Simultaneously with the loading or charging of one of the chambers J J, 850., one or more of the said chambers are being sponged or swabbed out by means of devices which I will now proceed to describe.

To the horizontal shaft 11, before referred to, is secured a cam, O, which, upon the revolution of the shaft b, bears and travels upon the inside surface of a strap, D, attached to a right-angular lever, E, turning upon centers F and G, to which is connected by a pivotjoint a rod, 11, on one end of which is a suitable sponger or swabber, I, so as to cause it to travel in and out of and thereby cleanse each chamber or section of the magazine in succession.

It will be evident thatin case of the nondischarge of any of the chambers or sections J J, &c., the devices which operate the sponger I can be thrown out of gear by any means which will disconnect the cam 0 from its strap D.

The discharge of each chamber successively is provided for by means of a plate, J, attached to the horizontal shaft b, before referred to, upon one side of which is a projection, K, which abuts against an arm, L, turning upon a center at M, and thereby causes at proper intervals of time a rod, N, to enter through a thumbingplate, O, the touch-holes P P, &c., of each chamber or section brought in apposition with the said rod by the previouslydescribed revolution of the magazine or cylinder. The rod N is retracted after entering each touch-hole by means of a spring, Q,

coiled'npon the centerM of the arm L. At the moment that the rod-N enters'the touchhole P of each chamber of the magazlne'a spark of electricity is sent through" the said red by means of a suitable. battery attached to one end of the same. The thumbing of each touch-hole after every discharge is efi'ected by a stationary plate, 0, against which the cylinder or magazine, bymeans of a grounder other tight joint, has a close bearing during its rev-' olution, so as to stop all ventof the said touchholes and prevent a premature discharge.

, The thumbing-plate Ocan also be furnished with rubber or other elastic projections or packings, which uponthe revolution of the cylinder or magazine will; closely fit over the several touch-holes.-

Provisionis made for the elevation and de pression of the gun, and also for the setting" of thegun at any desired horizontalangle with regard to the carriage B, whereby projectiles can be discharged in every desired direction, either parallel with or inclined to the horizon,

as follows: Q is a vertical screw passingthrough .a rocker-shaft, R. of the rear portion of the swinging frame G G, so that upon turning a nut, S, to the right or left the swinging frame G, and consequently the gunbarrel, magazine, 860., will be elevated or de-- pressed. The screw-shaft terminates in a forked strap, Q, attached by-swinging joints T T to a carriage, U, made to travelon the arc of a circle by means of a gear-wheel, V, that engages with the teeth of a'toothedarc, W, thereby slewing the gun to the right or left, as may be desired. The traveling carriage is set and held at any desired position upon the toothed are by means oil a wedge-shaped sliding red, X, which, upon a forward motion being imparted to it, causes a strap, Y, to bear upward against the shoulders-Z Zof a grooved way, a, upon which the carriage U bears. The strap Y is disengaged from the shoulders ZdZ by the pulling out of the wedge-shaped ro In the accompanying drawings thegnn is represented as being susceptible of traveling horizontally upon a portion only of the arc of a circle; butit will beobvious that by continuingthe toothed arc W, so as to form a complete circle, the gun can be made to travel around the entire circumference thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the guiding or steeringof the gun, so as to discharge projectiles in every'possible direction, can be readily effected during the time of and without interrupting the various operations of loading, swabbing out, dischargin g, &c. I 1

To provide for the recoil of the gun, so as to reset it in the exact position which it-occupied previous to a discharge, I attach to each end of the gun-carriage B B powerful rubber or other springs b b, 850., so arranged and operating that both their tension and compression will act equally upon the gun-carriage B B. These springs I prefer to construct as follows:

0 c c, &c.,are cross-heads, which slidefreely upon side bars, 11 d d (1. These bars are con-' nected to an.eye,e, which is fitted over'a suitable. standard,'f.' The heads 0 c, &c., bear upon the ends of a hollow elastic cylinder of indla rubber, g, or other suitable spring. Through the center of the sorin g g and through the cross-heads passes a rod, h, terminating in a loop that is fastened to the gun-carriage B B. h h, &c., are washers of india-rubber. It will be seen by this arrangement that the gun. in 'recoilin'g will be acted upon so as to re pansive force of the compressed springs at each end of the gun-carriage.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the firing of the gun need not necesbattcry, as it might easily be done by hand or by means. of a band or tape carrying percusworked automatically. An endless band carrying cartridges may also be used to feed the charges to the hopper.

It will also be obvious that my newappa: ratus may beso mounted upon a carriage as .ing parts may be. protected from injury by shots by the'use of a ball-proof cover.

what Iclaim as my invention, and desire to liave secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

1. Thumbing the touch-holes ot' the chambers automatically by-means of the plate 0,

preventing its inserting another cartridge, and then throwing itinto gear again,;to be in readiness to perform its functions for-the next succeeding chamber, v g

3. In combinationwith the rotating magazine, the needle-rod N, operated automatically, as'described,"and connected with a galvanic-battery, so as to ignite the charges at the propertimes, as set forth.

4. The arrangement of the gears N, O, and P and their swinging arms, operating together, as described, so as to permit the gun=carriage to travel back and forth without disconnecting the devices which communicate motion to the machinery from the driving-shaft.

5. The springing-or swabbing of the;cham-' bers of the magazine by means of the devices 'rnos. J. MAYALL.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH GAVETT,

A. W. BnowN.

set it by'a double force-vim, that of the ex sarilybeaccomplished by means of a galvanic sioncaps causedto explode by a hammer to be used as a field-piece, and that its work} Having thus described my improvements,

operating as described, or any other equivascribed, to throw the ra'mmer outof gear and operating as described,-the same consisting of i 

